Gothic Fantasy paintings by Jemima Mantle

I named this piece based on the William Blake poem. I include two excerpts below:

To see a world in a grain of sand
And heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.

Every night and every morn

Some to misery are born.

Every morn and every night

Some are born to sweet delight

Some are born to sweet delight

Some are born to endless night.

It’s a result of the human condition – we constantly questions the world around us and come into conflict with issues which challenge our morals, views and ideals. I think artists are probably more self-reflective and naturally questioning of my feelings and thoughts. This is how we grow and develop – something which is key to constantly developing artwork, pushing yourself, growing and improving yourself. This reflective state is where I found myself when I first discovered Bone Kitty Curios, ethically sourced wet specimens. Whilst I found their animals incredibly fascinating I was unsure of whether I could own something like this. I first encountered them at Custom Carnage convention but didn’t purchase anything. By the time I saw them at the next show I had decided that I wanted a little kitten of my own to admire and love. You only have to talk to them to see that these little animals have been treated with such a huge amount of love and respect, and in the end I was delighted to be able to give two of their fetal kittens a new home. My kittens, like all Bone Kitty specimens, died of natural causes and has been lovingly preserved so that we can enjoy the natural beauty of life and the melancholy of death.

Enjoying the natural beauty of the life around us is what A Grain of Sand is all about. I wanted to create a piece which celebrates the beauty of the world around us. My kittens offer a glimpse of pure and innocent beauty but I also feel it tells us something about creation. I have put them next to a quartz crystal as this gorgeous natural creation is one of the oldest beauties we can bring into our own homes. They also bring elements of the mystical and spiritual into this piece. The succulents not only frame the central focus but in themselves represent the diversity of creation.

I could ramble on about this piece and why I chose to create it but that’s not the point of the post. Whilst many of you may instinctively pull away from my kittens, I wanted to challenge your preconceived ideas and ask you to consider why we shouldn’t celebrate all aspects of life, for it is beautiful. Dr Gunther von Hagen has already broken down some of the taboo’s of death in his autopsy TV programmes and exhibitions, why shouldn’t we behold the beauty of the creations of this world that have died even if they sadly never took their first breath. To me, it is no different to the ethics of framing a pinned butterfly and hanging it on your wall.

I want to stress that I do not condone the killing of animals for people to preserve, stuff, skin or do anything else purely to appeal to a human desire. No life should be taken for the enjoyment of another. If you are interested in owning your own fetal specimen I cannot stress enough how important it is to check how and where that animal has been sourced. Please do not buy taxidermy or any similar ‘artwork’ from any unknown sources especially eastern countries where the torturous farming and murder of animals for this purpose is still practiced.
I cannot recommend Bone Kitty Curios enough – visit: